Main Street Poodle: Vancouver Art Installation Gets Mixed Reviews

The Huffington Post B.C.

Maureen Smith

The mayor of Vancouver is not a fan of a seven-foot-tall poodle statue in the city's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, which was partly paid for by the city.

The poodle, which sits on a 25-foot pole at Main Street and 18th Avenue, was installed in January by Vancouver's public art program. The poodle is part of an overall project that cost $97,600, covered by the city, federal government and TransLink, reported The Vancouver Sun.

The artwork, by Montreal artist Gisele Amantea, has elicited mixed reactions. This week, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson weighed in on Twitter, saying, "Definitely not a fan of the Main St. poodle but public art is important and at times provocative!"

While Main Street is known for being home to funky stores and hipsters, some people question the cost and even the meaning of the statue.

Varouj Gumuchian tweeted: "Meaningless icon. The installation rising on Main St has been a surprise and a disappointment."

The poodle is part of a series of works, collectively called "Memento," which includes a bus wrapped in the image of a knit cozy of a pink poodle. The doggy is "expressive of the general surroundings of the street. The poodle is not associated with a particular culture, and can therefore be enjoyed by a wide range of people along the street and in the surrounding neighbourhoods," says the artist's statement.